Care
Exercise
The Basset Retrievers are quite energetic and they need to be active more to burn off the calories. You can take them for walks, but you must keep them on a leash as they have a strong love for scents and they have the hunting traits in them, following for the chase. A walk for one or two times a day is required for them along with some playing time. They can adapt well to smaller apartments, but you need to take them out one or two times per day for healthy growth. If your house has access to a yard, it is best for the Basset Retrievers. They need a plenty of opportunities for stretching of both the mind and the muscles of their body. Regular walking, playing and socializing with the other dogs help to keep the Basset Retriever dogs active, happy and well exercised. They can be made to participate with you in jogging or biking.
Grooming
Grooming, however, is essential for the Basset Retrievers as in case of other dogs. Brushing of the coat is needed once a week to help removal of loose hairs. But during the shedding period, this brushing needs to be done on a regular basis. So please prepare yourselves to clean up the furniture and clothing and make sure to have a good vacuum cleaner. Bathing can be done once a month and this will be enough unless they get dirty. Check them frequently every week if they are healthy, check their eyes too. Brushing of teeth needs to be done at least two or three times in a week as the Basset Retrievers are more prone to dental problems. Dry their ears thoroughly to wipe out the moisture. You must also wipe the ears once a week for prevention of infection. Nails need to be clipped too, but they should not be cut too low as it may cause pain and excessive bleeding.
Health problems
There are no major health problems for this breed of dog. But new things may still emerge in case of the Basset Retriever dogs. There lies a possibility in them to inherit tendencies and ailments of their parent dogs. Certain diseases may include skin problems, ear infections, many allergic reactions, obesity, dental problems and joint dysplasia. Bloating, hip dysplasia, glaucoma, patellar luxation, thrombopathia, various problems of the Eyelid and Eyelash Problems, Intervertebral Disc Disease may also affect this breed of dog.
Training
The Basset Retrievers are a brilliant breed of dogs and are therefore easy enough for training. They listen and can learn well. However, a streak of stubbornness can come in them due to the Basset hound parent genes. Hence, you need to be firm, patient and consistent with them while training. Avoid punishments and shouting at them as you will not be able to achieve anything from it. Try to be positive and reward them with praises and treats for they love them. It is essential that you make them learn to communicate with other dogs as well as with strangers. You must also train them with social skills. Obedience training is also required to help them learn to respond to your commands.
Feeding
You must make a note of the fact that your dog’s food requirement will depend on the size, age, metabolism rate, build up of the body and levels of activity. They are individuals just like human beings and hence all of them do not need the same quantity of food. A highly active Basset Retriever dog will need more amount of food than a smaller sized dog. Also the quality of food matters for their nutrition. Prefer high quality of the dog food, the more it will contribute to the nourishment of your dog. Also, you will have to give smaller amount if the quality is quite high. But you must take care as they like to eat and are very much prone to obesity. So you should feed them twice a day instead of leaving food in front of them all the time. The daily amount must be one and a half cups to two cups of high-quality of dog food and this must be split into two meals.
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